If 2023 has been the year of AI (take a look at our marketer’s guide here if you missed it), what can we expect in 2024? We asked our experts to look into the Crimtan crystal ball and find out…
Frank Cheng, Sales Director (APAC)
“Loyalty programmes and apps were a big trend in 2023, but brands need to look at how to successfully build on and grow this into 2024. Figuring out a way to stand out in the marketplace and ensure that the “currency” of your loyalty scheme remains strong will be key.
“From a programmatic perspective, the cookieless challenge continues, and by the end of 2024 the end of the cookie is finally going to happen, so it’s important to figure out your plan.
“AI is another big marketing trend for 2024, but it’s never going to be 100% of your strategy or spend, or else we will all be out of a job. So, brands need to find a healthy balance between AI and human expertise, and personally I think AI will continue to enhance marketing efforts, not hinder them, so don’t worry too much about robots taking over the world…for now.”
Andy Houstoun, CCO
“The big change for 2024 will be the final death of the cookie, with Google pulling the plug mid-year, so marketers need to get ready. There will be a change in how brands address customer lifecycle targeting, specifically retargeting, as Google removes the support they’ve been giving via DV360.
“Publishers of premium content will take back control of the customer experience, as the death of cookies puts context front-and-centre of advertiser requirements. And, with the EU ruling on Facebook’s behavioural targeting, meaning they can’t use user information to build contextual audiences without explicit consent, access to premium contexts will be key for effective advertising planning, delivery and measurement.
“The final trend, again driven by the loss of cookies and growing privacy regulations, will be real-time advertising activation and measurement, due to the coming inability to link systems together via tracking software. Instead, advertisers will need to use real-time activation to quickly react and pivot to intent signals and optimise their campaigns for maximum performance.”
Justin Thomas, Agency Leader, CRKLR
“There are major tailwinds around consent mechanisms, frameworks and of course, cookies, which marketers need to solve. Plus, it goes without saying how transformational AI is already becoming in areas from search to content generation.
“If you’ve been keeping an eye on your device reports in Google Ads, you will have noticed CTV appearing and gradually growing within campaign types like Performance Max. Hardware, connectivity and on-demand platforms are coming together and will offer new experiences, inventory and opportunities for marketers.
“This alignment of creative content at scale and across devices naturally leans towards programmatic delivery. The winners will be those advertisers who are able to leverage (consented) data and understand the benefit of high-impact creative formats on their brand performance.”
Nicola Jones, Senior Marketing Manager
“Sustainability will continue to grow in importance for marketers in 2024. Finding a way to balance the requirements of campaign performance with the environmental impact of digital advertising and rising consumer demand for brands to act in a more sustainable way will be key, both in terms of future-proofing marketing strategies and building brand affinity.
“This also feeds into relevancy, with customers wanting to engage with brands they feel connected to, so targeted, dynamic creative and messaging through the use of AI and smarter formats such as CTV will become more important, to ensure brands are reaching and speaking to the right people, with the right messaging.
“Clever measurement and attribution across channels will also be key, as marketers need to prove the value of their ad spend and show the true return on investment of their campaigns, not just the number of clicks on an ad, as budgets are cut even further and marketers need to do more with less.”
We look forward to seeing what 2024 brings, and if you’d like to talk to us about your advertising plans for the new year, get in touch today.